Trisakti and Bank Danamon

Trisakti and Bank Danamon

My niece, whom I support at Trisakti University, informed me
that she was obligated to open an account at Bank Danamon to
facilitate easy payments to the university. Feeling uncomfortable
with this policy, I phoned the Trisakti University finance
department to learn that indeed they require all students to open
accounts with Bank Danamon.

Furthermore, guarantors of the newly opened accounts are asked
to sign a power of attorney letter that obligates them to provide
continuous funds to the account as long as the student is
enrolled at Trisakti University, and that at any time Trisakti
University can withdraw funds from this account for university-
related matters using electronic debits.

Since when does an educational institution have the right to
dictate where one does their banking? I personally feel very
uncomfortable with any kind of direct debit when there is no easy
way to monitor what fees are being paid and in what amounts.
Staff in the Trisakti finance department justify this practice
because it makes their job easier. What about the hundreds of
students' families who incur additional charges and difficulties
in managing yet another bank account? What about the profits that
Bank Danamon makes off fees and interest from hundreds of
Trisakti students' accounts?

I have requested alternative payment procedures for support of
my family member at Trisakti University. Until now the finance
department has not provided me with a bank account number or a
schedule of payments. I support two other family members in
university and I have never before heard of this practice of
mandating the use of a particular bank by the student or their
family. Ironically my niece is studying accounting. Is this the
example Trisakti University is setting for a new generation of
business professionals trained in "fair and neutral" business
practices?

DOREEN BIEHLE, Jakarta